Medicating on sex is just another way of reducing emotional pain. The individual who does this may not necessarily have a high sex drive and it is important not to confuse sex addiction with a strong libido (which is a sign of good health even if one or both partners have trouble dealing with it). 

  Sex addiction occurs in both males and females, heterosexual  and gay. Not a lot has been written about sex addiction so I have gone into a little more detail here than for the other addictions.

  Medicating on sex typically involves activities that are unusual or risky and creates a psychological high caused by adrenaline and endomorphins. This differs from the high resulting from normal excitement or orgasm.

  Two other pointers that suggest the presence of sex addiction are first inability to achieve true adult intimacy with only one person and secondly a history of untreated sexual abuse as a child or teenager. A person who regularly experiences withdrawal symptoms (getting angry, shutting down emotionally or isolating, instead of enjoying the usual closeness) following orgasm may also be using sex as a medication.

  Medicating on sex is often first identified by the person’s obsession with talking about sex, seeing and hearing sexual innuendoes in even the most ordinary situations and conversations.

  Keep in mind that it is normal for couples in a close mature relationship to experiment with a wide range of novel or offbeat sexual practices (for example viewing pornographic videos and discussing unusual sexual variety) as long as this is done in private and both parties not only   consent but find it sexually exciting. The more random or occasional the offbeat activity, the less the chance it is related to sex addiction. The more regular and repetitive the pattern is the greater the possibility that some element of sex addiction is involved.

  It is also normal for couples to share sexual fantasies that involve strange or unusual activities which neither would dream of acting out in real life. This normally has nothing to do with sexual addiction.  But if one partner wants to start acting out these fantasies in real life and this would require a break in intimacy or commitment it may be a pointer to a growing level of sexual addiction.

  Sexual Anorexia
Sexual anorexia is also a form of sex addiction. The sexual anorexic addictive cycle obsesses about avoiding anything sexual. As with eating disorders the sexual anorexic usually has occasional bouts of "sexual bulimia", that is excessive sexual activity followed by "purging".